Cleanliness works start on Babe Nanki Road

Ahead of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev's 550th birth anniversary next year, renowned environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal Sunday led cleanliness and beautification works on the 30-km stretch of berms along Kapurthala-Sultanpur Lodhi Road.

The road is named after Babe Nanki, sister of Guru Nank Dev, who spent 14 years of his early life at Sultanpur Lodhi in the house of his sister Babe Nanki. The Sikh Guru got enlightenment at this place.

Seechewal, along with a large number of activists and locals, removed filth and garbage lying on both sides of the road using tractors and earth movers.

Seechewal told media persons that the cleanliness and beautification drive would continue till November 2019, marking 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

He said all roads leading to Sultanpur Lodhi mainly Kapurthala-Sultanpur Lodhi via Pajjian, Kapurthala-Sultanpurlodhi via Fattudhinga, Malsian to Sultanpur Lodhi via Lohian and Jalandhar to Sultanpur Lodhi via Kalasingia and Dalla would be cleaned.

These roads would also be beautified with fruit and ornamental plantations, besides flowers beds, he said.

Seechewal and the activists planted saplings on both sides of the 30-km-long road. Seechewal is credited with the cleaning of the 160-km-long holy Kali Bein rivulet manually few years ago.

On Sunday, he expressed his annoyance with the authorities for not effectively stopping the dirty water of towns and villages from flowing into Kali Bein.

He said the state government should stop the flow of dirty water in the holy rivulet, especially at a time when Guru Nanak's birth anniversary is fast approaching. Seechwal said he would clean the holy Kali Bein from hyacinth and underwater vegetation before the start of the celebrations.

It is believed that Guru Nanak Dev used to bathe in this rivulet during his years staying at Sultanpur Lodhi.